A process of producing printed variably imaged labels cut to individual label sheets in a pre-defined sequence of variable information synchronized with the planogram of a retail store for labeling, output from a factory assembly line for unique product labeling or labeling of shipments from a fulfillment or distribution warehouse that all have unique data and follow a planogram or planned sequence. The labels are cut into single sheets using a cutter/stacker and either use a crack and peel liner or a stripped matrix around the label to facilitate easy removal and application. The cutter/stacker processes converted label stock that is either preprinted and die cut and/or variably imaged.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A method of printing imaged single ply film labels said method comprising sequentially carrying out the following steps: (a) printing a continuous sheet comprising multiple laminated labels in a printer to affix indicia to said continuous sheet of laminated labels to produce a variable imaged continuous sheet of laminated labels, wherein said printed indicia is affixed to each laminated label pursuant to a sequence that is a synchronized sequence with a planogram, production schedule or distribution plan, and wherein each laminated label comprises a layflat release liner comprising a coated paper liner coated on one side with a release coating where said layflat liner before being coated with a release coating, has on a side of said release liner opposite said release coating or on both sides of said release liner, a coating to seal said layflat liner to make said layflat liner more resistant to moisture under changing environmental conditions, said layflat liner being laminated to a single ply film label substrate with a pressure-sensitive adhesive coating in between said layflat liner and said single ply film label substrate, said single ply film label substrate being optionally coated on said top surface of said adhesive coated substrate with a functional top coating to receive a variable image; and (b) cutting said variable imaged continuous sheet of laminated labels in a cutting and stacking machine wherein said cutting and stacking machine slits the variable continuous sheet in the machine direction and cuts the variable imaged continuous sheet of laminated labels transversely with a knife mechanism while maintaining the synchronized sequence with a planogram, production schedule or distribution plan and delivering discrete individual labels into stacks of discrete individually cut labels where the coefficient of friction between the printable surface of the single ply film label substrate and the back side of the liner is between 0.35-0.55 and the volume resistivity of the image side of the laminated labels is 109-1014 ohms-cm.
2. A method of printing single ply film labels as defined in claim 1 where said layer of a pressure sensitive adhesive coating on a smooth bottom substrate has a thickness of 0.0004 to 0.0012″ where said release coating is a silicone release coating.
3. A method of printing imaged single ply film labels as defined in claim 1 where said layer of pressure sensitive adhesive has an adhesive shear resistance of >500 minutes when tested on stainless steel with a ½″×½″ specimen and 450-550 g of weight according to an International Standard for Shear Adhesion of Pressure Sensitive Tape, PSTC107, Procedure A of May 2007 where said release coating is a silicone release coating.
4. A method of printing single ply film labels as defined in claim 1 where said layer of pressure sensitive adhesive has an adhesive shear resistance of >1400 minutes when tested on stainless steel with a ½″×½″ specimen and 450-550 g of weight according to International Standard for Shear Adhesion of Pressure Sensitive Tape, PSTC107, Procedure A of May 2007 where said release coating is a silicone release coating.
5. A method of printing imaged single ply film labels as defined in claim 1 where said sequence is predetermined and synchronized with a planogram of a retail store where said release coating is a silicone release coating.
6. A method of printing imaged single ply film labels as defined in claim 1 where said film label substrate is in fanfold format with variable printing and having pin holes for tractor feeding where said release coating is a silicone release coating.
7. A method of printing imaged single ply film labels as defined in claim 1 where said single ply film is a transparent or opaque polyester film where said release coating is a silicone release coating.
8. A method of printing imaged single ply film labels as defined in claim 1 where the image side of the laminated labels has a volume resistivity is 1011-1012 ohms-cm where said release coating is a silicone release coating.
9. A method of printing imaged single ply labels from a transparent or opaque film of polyester, polypropylene, polyethylene, cellophane or vinyl substrate having a top surface and a bottom surface by printing said labels in a variable imaging printer and then cutting and stacking the labels into stacks of single labels imaged in a sequence that is predetermined and synchronized with a planogram, production schedule or distribution plan, said method consisting of: (a) providing a polymeric single ply film of a transparent or opaque film of polyester, polypropylene, polyethylene, cellophane or vinyl having a coating on said bottom surface of said single ply film comprising pressure sensitive adhesive, optionally coated on said top surface of said adhesive coated substrate with a functional top coating to receive a variable image; (b) providing a layflat release liner, said layflat release liner comprising a coated paper liner coated on one side with a release coating where said layflat liner before being coated with a release coating, has on a side of said release liner opposite said release coating or on both sides of said release liner, a coating to seal said layflat liner to make said layflat liner more resistant to moisture under changing environmental conditions and laminating said layflat liner to the pressure sensitive adhesive on the bottom surface of the transparent or opaque film substrate in (a) to form a laminated transparent or opaque film substrate and thereafter converting said laminated transparent or opaque film substrate into a roll or fan-fold laminated transparent or opaque film substrate, by placing scores, die cuts and or optional pin holes for tractor feed, and (c) printing said roll or fan-fold laminated transparent or opaque film substrate obtained in step (b) through a variable image printer to form a variably imaged roll or fanfold laminated transparent or opaque film substrate, and (d) cutting said variably imaged roll or fan-fold laminated transparent or opaque film substrate obtained in step (c) in a cutter/stacker machine by feeding said cutting and stacking machine with said variable imaged roll or fanfold as a continuous sheet wherein said cutting and stacking machine slits the variable imaged roll or fanfold in the machine direction and cuts the imaged roll transversely with a knife mechanism while maintaining the synchronized sequence and delivering discrete individual labels into stacks of discrete individually cut labels where the coefficient of friction between the printable surface of the film label substrate and the back side of the liner is between 0.35-0.55 for optimum sheet stacking and separation and the image side of the laminated transparent or opaque film substrate has a volume resistivity of 109-1014 ohms-cm.
10. A method of printing imaged single ply film labels as defined in claim 9 wherein said single ply transparent or opaque film substrate comprises a polyester film where said release coating is a silicone release coating.
11. A method of printing imaged single ply film labels as defined in claim 9 wherein said single ply transparent or opaque film substrate comprises a vinyl film where said release coating is a silicone release coating.
12. A method of printing single ply film labels as defined in claim 9 wherein before cutting said roll or fan-fold laminated transparent or opaque film substrate through a cutting and stacking machine, said roll or fan-fold of laminated transparent or opaque film substrate is die cut to form a matrix of face stock and adhesive between labels which is removed from said roll or fan-fold format to avoid adhesive build up on cutting blades of said cutting and stacking machine when labels are cut where said release coating is a silicone release coating.
13. A method of printing single ply film labels as defined in claim 9 wherein said layflat release liner is scored to facilitate cracking and peeling of a part of a segment of said layflat release liner to expose a portion of said pressure sensitive adhesive for application of the label to a shelf edge where said release coating is a silicone release coating.
14. A method of printing imaged single ply film labels as defined in claim 9 where a roll of a transparent or opaque film substrate is utilized where said top surface of said adhesive coated substrate is coated with a functional top coating to receive a variable image where said release coating is a silicone release coating.
15. A method of printing imaged single ply film labels as defined in claim 9 where a fanfold of a transparent or opaque film substrate is utilized where said release coating is a silicone release coating.
16. A method of printing imaged single ply film labels as defined in claim 15 where a transparent film substrate is utilized where said release coating is a silicone release coating.
17. A method of printing imaged single ply film labels as defined in claim 9 where the image side of the laminated transparent or opaque film substrate has a volume resistivity of 1011-1012 ohms-cm where said release coating is a silicone release coating.
18. A method of printing imaged single ply film labels as defined in claim 9 where the layflat liner side of the laminated transparent or opaque film substrate consists of a release coated film with a back side coating that provides an air gap for sheet separation.
19. A method of printing imaged single ply film labels for labeling the shelves in a retail store which comprises sequentially carrying out the following steps: (a) developing a planogram of an arrangement of all or part of displayed items in a particular retail store; (b) printing indicia on a top side of pressure sensitive adhesive coated labels on a continuous roll or fanfold of a single-ply substrate consisting of a polyester or a vinyl film having on a bottom side, a layer consisting of a pressure sensitive adhesive coating covered with a layflat release liner said layflat release liner comprising a coated paper liner coated on one side with a release coating where said layflat liner before being coated with a release coating, has on a side of said release liner opposite said release coating or on both sides of said release liner, a coating to seal said layflat liner to make said layflat liner more resistant to moisture under changing environmental conditions to form indicia printed pressure sensitive adhesive labels on a continuous roll or fanfold, said single ply substrate being coated on said top side with a functional top coating to receive a variable image prior to printing; and said indicia printed labels being arranged in a sequence that follows all or part of a planogram of an arrangement of displayed items in a particular retail store; and (c) cutting and stacking said indicia printed pressure sensitive adhesive labels on said continuous roll or fanfold on a cutting and stacking machine by feeding said cutting and stacking machine with said continuous roll or fanfold of said indicia printed pressure sensitive adhesive labels wherein said cutting and stacking machine slits said roll or fanfold of a printed single ply substrate in the machine direction and cuts the imaged roll transversely with a knife mechanism before individually stacking cut and stacked pressure sensitive adhesive labels so that said cut and stacked pressure sensitive adhesive labels will be arranged in a sequence that follows all or a part of a planogram of an arrangement of all or part of displayed items in said particular retail store and the volume resistivity of the image side of the single ply substrate is 109-1014 ohms-cm where said release coating is a silicone release coating.
20. A method of printing single ply film labels as defined in claim 19 where said layer consisting of a single ply substrate consisting of a polyester or a vinyl film and a pressure sensitive adhesive coating has a combined thickness of from about 0.0014″ to 0.005″ where said release coating is a silicone release coating.
21. A method of printing single ply film labels as defined in claim 19 where said layer consisting of pressure sensitive adhesive has an adhesive shear resistance of >500 minutes when tested on stainless steel with a ½″×½″ specimen and 450-550 g of weight according to an International Standard for Shear Adhesion of Pressure Sensitive Tape, PSTC107, Procedure A of May 2007 of the label to a shelf edge where said release coating is a silicone release coating.
22. A method of making imaged single ply film labels as defined as defined in claim 19 where said layer consisting of a pressure sensitive adhesive has an adhesive shear resistance of >1400 minutes when tested on stainless steel with a ½″×½″ specimen and 450-550 g of weight according to International Standard for Shear Adhesion of Pressure Sensitive Tape, PSTC107, Procedure A of May 2007 where said release coating is a silicone release coating.
23. A method of printing imaged single ply film labels as defined in claim 19 where said fanfold has pin holes for tractor feeding where said release coating is a silicone release coating.
24. A method of printing imaged single ply film labels as defined in claim 19 where wherein before feeding said cutting and stacking machine with said fanfold of said indicia printed pressure sensitive adhesive labels, die cutting said fanfold of said indicia printed pressure sensitive adhesive labels to form a matrix of face stock and adhesive between labels which is removed from said fanfold to avoid adhesive build up on cutting blades when the labels are cut where said release coating is a silicone release coating.
25. A method of printing single ply film labels as defined in claim 19 wherein said layflat release liner is scored to facilitate cracking and peeling of a part of a segment of said layflat release liner to expose a portion of said pressure sensitive adhesive for application of the label to a shelf edge where said release coating is a silicone release coating.
26. A method of printing imaged single ply film labels as defined in claim 19 where the image side of the single ply substrate has a volume resistivity of 1011-1012 ohms cm where said release coating is a silicone release coating.
27. A method of printing imaged single ply film labels said method comprising sequentially carrying out the following steps: (a) printing a continuous sheet comprising multiple laminated labels in a printer to affix indicia to said continuous sheet of laminated labels to produce a variable imaged continuous sheet of laminated labels, wherein said printed indicia is affixed to each laminated label pursuant a sequence that is a synchronized sequence with a planogram, production schedule or distribution plan, and wherein each laminated label consists of a single ply of polymer film and a layflat liner laminated to a single ply opaque film label substrate with a pressure-sensitive adhesive coating in between said layflat liner and said single ply film label substrate, said layflat release liner comprising a coated paper liner coated on one side with a release coating where said layflat liner before being coated with a release coating, has on a side of said release liner opposite said release coating or on both sides of said release liner, a coating to seal said layflat liner to make said layflat liner more resistant to moisture under changing environmental conditions; and (b) cutting said variable imaged continuous sheet of laminated labels in a cutting and stacking machine wherein said cutting and stacking machine slits the variable continuous sheet in the machine direction and cuts the variable imaged continuous sheet of laminated labels transversely with a knife mechanism while maintaining the synchronized sequence with a planogram, production schedule or distribution plan and delivering discrete individual labels into stacks of discrete individually cut labels where the coefficient of friction between the printable surface of the single ply film label substrate and the back side of the liner is between 0.35-0.55 where the surface resistivity of the image side of the laminated labels is 109-1013 ohms/square.
28. A method of printing single ply film labels as defined in claim 27 where the volume resistivity of the image side of the laminated labels is 109-1014 ohms-cm where said release coating is a silicone release coating.
29. A method of printing imaged single ply film labels as defined in claim 28 where the image side of the laminated labels has a volume resistivity of 1011-1012 ohms-cm and a surface resistivity is 1011-1012 ohms/square where said release coating is a silicone release coating.
30. A method of printing imaged single ply film labels as defined in claim 27 where the image side of the laminated labels has a surface resistivity is 1011-1012 ohms/square where said release coating is a silicone release coating.
31. A method of printing single ply film labels for labeling the shelves in a retail store which comprises sequentially carrying out the following steps: (a) developing a planogram of an arrangement of all or part of displayed items in a particular retail store; (b) printing indicia on a top side of pressure sensitive adhesive coated labels on a continuous roll or fanfold of a single-ply film consisting of a polyester or a vinyl film having on a bottom side, a layer consisting of a pressure sensitive adhesive coating covered with a layflat release liner comprising a coated paper liner coated on one side with a release coating where said layflat liner before being coated with a release coating, has on a side of said release liner opposite said release coating or on both sides of said release liner, a coating to seal said layflat liner to make said layflat liner more resistant to moisture under changing environmental conditions to form indicia printed pressure sensitive adhesive labels on a continuous roll or fanfold, said indicia printed labels being arranged in a sequence that follows all or part of a planogram of an arrangement of displayed items in a particular retail store; and (c) cutting and stacking said indicia printed pressure sensitive adhesive labels on said continuous roll or fanfold on a cutting and stacking machine by feeding said cutting and stacking machine with said continuous roll or fanfold of said indicia printed pressure sensitive adhesive labels wherein said cutting and stacking machine slits said roll or fanfold of a printed single ply substrate in the machine direction and cuts the imaged roll transversely with a knife mechanism before individually stacking cut and stacked pressure sensitive adhesive labels so that said cut and stacked pressure sensitive adhesive labels will be arranged in a sequence that follows all or a part of a planogram of an arrangement of all or part of displayed items in said particular retail store and the image side of the single ply substrate has a surface resistivity is 109-1013 ohms/square.
32. A method of printing single ply film labels as defined in claim 31 where the image side of the single ply substrate has a volume resistivity is 109-1014 ohms-cm where said release coating is a silicone release coating.
33. A method of printing imaged single ply film labels as defined in claim 32 where the image side of the single ply substrate has a surface resistivity of 1011-1012 ohms/square and the volume resistivity is 1011-12 ohms-cm where said release coating is a silicone release coating.
34. A method of printing single ply film labels of a single ply film consisting of a polyester or a vinyl film having on a bottom side, a layer consisting of a pressure sensitive adhesive coating covered with a layflat release liner as defined in claim 32 where the polymer film and the pressure sensitive adhesive coating have a combined thickness of from about 0.0018″ to 0.0038″ and said release coating is a silicone release coating.
35. A method of printing imaged single ply film labels as defined in claim 31 where the image side of the single ply substrate has a surface resistivity of 1011-1012 ohms/square where said release coating is a silicone release coating.
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May 12, 2020
May 27, 2025
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